How to prepare your yard for winter
Changing seasons can be tough on a
lawn. Always exposed to the elements,
lawns can fare especially poorly upon
the arrival of winter, a season known for
its harsh and unforgiving weather. Even
the most perfectly manicured lawn can
suffer at the hands of winter weather,
causing homeowners to sit idly by and
hope spring arrives that much sooner.
But as punishing as winter weather
can be on a lawn, homeowners are not
without recourse. Much like
homeowners can take steps to help their
lawns survive sizzling summer heat
waves during the warmer months of the
year, they also can take steps to help
their lawns make it through the often
stormy weather synonymous with
winter.
• Don’t procrastinate. Putting off the

process of winterizing a lawn can put
that lawn in jeopardy. Lawns will turn
dormant the closer you get to winter,
and they may reject the nutrients found
in fertilizer as a result. Those nutrients
will prove valuable once spring weather
returns, so start the winterization
process in early fall so the lawn has
sufficient time to absorb nutrients and
strengthen itself for the seasons to
come.
• Treat trouble spots. Summer can
be even harder on a lawn than winter,
especially for those lawns located in
regions where heat waves and drought
are common. In such instances, certain
spots on the lawn seem to be hit harder
than others, and those spots should get
special attention when winterizing the
lawn. Check the soil’s pH levels before
fertilizing or applying any treatments.

Such a test will reveal which spots need
the most attention, and treating trouble
spots now will make spring lawn care
that much easier.
• Aerate the property. Aerating can
help a lawn recover after a long summer
and help it survive the potentially harsh
months that lie ahead. Aerating, which
involves puncturing the soil or
removing cores of soil from the ground,
can restore a lawn to health by
improving its drainage and allowing
more water and air to reach the roots of
the grass. Aerating also makes it easier
for nutrients to penetrate the soil, which
encourages a healthier lawn over the
long haul. Aerators can be purchased or
rented, but homeowners uncomfortable
with the process may want to enlist a
professional to tackle the job. Parents of
small children who spend lots of time in
the yard may need to aerate their lawn
more than most, as heavy lawn traffic
compresses the soil, a potentially
harmful process that can be reversed via
aeration.
• Take steps to strengthen the roots.
Aerating promotes stronger roots, but
homeowners might also want to find a

winterizing product with potassium and
phosphorous, both of which can
strengthen roots. Different types of
lawns will respond differently to certain
winterizers, so discuss your options with
a lawn care professional who can help
you find the right fit for your property.
• Remove debris from the lawn.
Debris left on a lawn over the winter can
prove very harmful. Piles of debris left
scattered around a lawn can suffocate
the blades of grass, leading to long-term
damage and a potentially unsightly
lawn come the spring. In addition, piles
of debris might make good homes for
organisms that can damage the lawn. As
fall moves into winter, periodically
remove all debris, including leaves and
branches fallen from trees.
• Make the lawn off-limits once the
temperatures dip below freezing. A
lawn should be off-limits once the
ground freezes. Stepping on grass that
has frozen will leave noticeable
footprints, and walking on frozen grass
can kill the turf. When winter arrives,
people should avoid using the lawn as a
shortcut into and out of your home and
stick to driveways and sidewalks
instead.

Friday, October 4, 2013

MYCITIZENSNEWS.COM

17

Falll Home
e Improvement

Create a fresh look for your home
Before the holidays bring
family celebrations and visiting
friends to your home, give your
home a new look and improve its
comfort level. Check out the
suggestions below, make your
project list, and then go to
Woodcraft for the tools and
accessories to get the job done.
“Put safety first,” cautions
Scott Phillips, host of The
American Woodshop. “Before you
begin your first project, make sure
you have eye, ear and breathing
protection available and then
follow the manufacturer’s
directions for all the tools and
products you use. Have a first-aid
kit and a phone handy, and enlist
help for the heavy-duty work.”
Entrance, Windows & Floors –
Give your entrance an easy update
with a new door or add color and
new hardware to your existing one.
Install new windows that are
attractive, reduce heating and
cooling costs, and are easy to
maintain. And consider installing a
hardwood floor in at least one of
your rooms -- possibly the
entryway and/or the living/family
room.
Kitchen & Dining Areas –
Apply stain or color to your
kitchen cabinets and replace
hinges and pulls or knobs to
brighten your “home cafe.” If your
cabinets have seen better days,
install new ones – either storebought or ones you build. For a
wood table and chairs, consider
using a stain or topcoat to enhance
the wood’s appearance or to match
the color of your cabinets.
Shelving & Lighting – Adding
shelving anywhere you have
unused space (bedroom/bathroom
closets) will help control clutter
and provide display space for your
favorite photos and collectibles in
living room, family room, and
kitchen. Enhance cabinets and
furniture with new decorative LED
lighting.
Living/Family Room –
Arranging furniture into “areas”
will allow for varied activities
simultaneously, such as
conversation and watching events
on television or playing games.
Use plants, a bookcase or a divider
to separate areas. Paint walls, hang
pictures or stain wood furniture to
add color.

Handy Helpers from Woodcraft
• Rockwell’s 3RILL 12V
Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill is
perfect for the drilling and driving
tasks required to install doors,
windows, floors, cabinets, and
shelving, as well as your building
projects. The tool converts easily
from drill to impact driver to
screwdriver.
• The Milescraft Complete
Door Mortise Kit makes it easy to
replace interior and exterior doors
without damaging the jamb or
door frame.
• Freeman’s 3 in 1 Flooring
Nailer is the go-to tool for
installing hardwood flooring.
Interchangeable baseplates allow
you to install 1/2” to 3/4” naildown flooring.
• General Finishes HP
Polyurethane is the preferred
choice for finishing floors. It is
quick curing, UV resistant and
urethane tough.
• The Little Hand provides a
support, brace or clamp whenever
you need an extra hand. Use it to
mount wall cabinets above a
counter or bench. It extends 16.5”
to 22.8” and has 6” x 6” universal
feet top and bottom for maximum
support of cabinets.
• General Finishes Gel Stain,
available in several colors from
prairie wheat to Georgian cherry,
combines gel and stain in one
product that is easy to apply and
can be used over new wood or
existing finishes as a glaze or to
change or update the look of
kitchen cabinets.

• Hafele’s 12V LED Flexible
Strip Light and 12V LED Puck
Down Light Kits include the
essentials to light almost any
cabinet or piece of furniture.

ED’S
HARDWARE
FULL LINE OF
HARDWARE
SUPPLIES
LARGEST IN AREA
Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8-6
Sat. 8-5
Sun. 9-1

560 RUBBER AVENUE
NAUGATUCK, CT 06770

203-729-8216

http://edshardware.doitbest.com/

• The Kreg Jig K4 Master
System makes building a breeze.
Using the jig, a saw and a drill, you
can quickly make strong pockethole joints for all of your projects.

203-758-5831
9 Gramar Avenue
Prospect, CT 06712

• General Finishes Milk Paint
is popular for furniture and crafts
and comes in a variety of colors,
such as federal blue, buttermilk
yellow and sage green.
• The Laurey Windsor line
offers attractive knobs and pulls
for cabinets and drawers.
• The Woodpeckers Combo
Shelf Pin Template makes drilling
holes for shelf pins easy. It